Looking to live a zero-waste lifestyle? These Whatcom stores can help
Five Whatcom County businesses have been recognized for doing their part in helping the environment by lessening the amount of waste they produce and encouraging their customers to do the same.
Zero Waste Washington, a nonprofit organization, seeks to limit the amount of waste produced by educating on waste and recycling as well as striving to drive policy changes towards producing less waste.
The organization has compiled a list of local Whatcom County businesses that are “zero waste,” meaning the stores have significant zero waste aspects and market themselves as zero waste.
There are three definitions of zero waste. First, waste prevention, reusing and recycling. Second, zero waste is a design principle of looking at the entire life cycle of a product and how it can be made wisely. Third, zero waste is part of nature’s design, as materials are cycled over and over again, Heather Trim, executive director of Zero Waste Washington wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald.
According to the organization’s website, Whatcom County has five zero-waste stores.
Whatcom Zero Waste businesses:
Community Food Co-op in Bellingham.
Mallard Ice Cream in Bellingham.
Wonderland Tea in Bellingham.
The Market at Birch Bay in Blaine.
The Living Pantry with locations in Bellingham and Blaine.
These stores are known for selling bulk or bring-your-own container foods, self-care products and cleaning supplies that limit the amount of waste by reusing the same containers. Mallard Ice Cream also uses compostable bowls and pints.
Other ways to produce less waste:
Shopping at stores that are mindful of the environment is just one way to produce less waste.
Zero Waste director Trim also encourages Washington residents to reduce waste by being mindful of certain choices that can produce more waste:
▪ Don’t buy it! If you can repair it, borrow it, or take an alternative approach, you avoid the major resource and climate change impacts of extraction, manufacturing, transport and end-of-life.
▪ Bring your own. Bring your own bag, thermos, reusable coffee mug, water bottle, etc. Buy in bulk with your own containers.
▪ Strive to only purchase items with minimal packaging and only packaging that is truly recyclable or compostable.
▪ Try not to waste food. Smaller portions, buying only what you will prepare and eat, freezing items for later, using all of food items (for example, saving veggie scraps to make stock) and composting the food waste that you do have.
▪ Reduce microfibers from your clothes: Strive for natural fibers; wash in cold water and hang dry, as much as possible; wash your clothes less frequently.
You can also easily reduce waste around your home, in schools, work and even as you travel, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
▪ At home: Start composting, use rechargeable batteries, hold yard sales for used items instead of throwing them away and use reusable mops, sponges and rags for cleaning.
▪ At schools: Before buying new school supplies, see what can be reused from last year, pack lunches in reusable containers and purchase school supplies made from recycled materials or that use minimal packaging.
▪ At work: Store documents on a hard drive instead of printing, use paperclips instead of staples, purchase recycled office supplies and reuse metal clasp envelopes and file folders.
▪ When you travel: Refill reusable toiletry bottles instead of buying new travel products, reuse cups and water bottles and save your boarding passes and tickets on your phone instead of printing.
